diff --git a/include/osquery/logger.h b/include/osquery/logger.h
index 4d2b8e76..6a6c2021 100644
--- a/include/osquery/logger.h
+++ b/include/osquery/logger.h
@@ -48,6 +48,25 @@ struct StatusLogLine {
   std::string message;
 };
 
+/**
+ * @brief Helper logging macro for table-generated verbose log lines.
+ *
+ * Since logging in tables does not always mean a critical warning or error
+ * but more likely a parsing or expected edge-case, we provide a TLOG.
+ *
+ * The tool user can set within config or via the CLI what level of logging
+ * to tolerate. It's the table developer's job to assume consistency in logging.
+ */
+#define TLOG VLOG(1)
+
+/**
+ * @brief Prepend a reference number to the log line.
+ *
+ * A reference number is an external-search helper for somewhat confusing or
+ * seeminly-critical log lines.
+ */
+#define RLOG(n) "[Ref #" #n "] "
+
 /**
  * @brief Superclass for the pluggable logging facilities.
  *
diff --git a/osquery/events/darwin/iokit_hid.cpp b/osquery/events/darwin/iokit_hid.cpp
index 35a3ef57..61a89b23 100644
--- a/osquery/events/darwin/iokit_hid.cpp
+++ b/osquery/events/darwin/iokit_hid.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void IOKitHIDEventPublisher::restart() {
 
   auto status = IOHIDManagerOpen(manager_, kIOHIDOptionsTypeNone);
   if (status != kIOReturnSuccess) {
-    LOG(WARNING) << "[Reference #617] Cannot open IOKit HID Manager";
+    LOG(WARNING) << RLOG(617) << "Cannot open IOKit HID Manager";
     return;
   }